Kingyo Used Books (Japanese: 金魚屋古書店, Hepburn: Kingyoya Koshoten) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Seimu Yoshizaki. It follows the happenings which revolve around a small used manga store, specializing in old and obscure manga. A first series, tiled Kingyoya Koshoten Suitouchō, was published in Shōnen Gahōsha's Young King OURs's special editions OURs Girl and OURs Lite from 2000 to 2002, with its chapters collected in two volumes. Kingyo Used Books was serialized in Shogakukan seinen manga magazine Monthly Ikki from 2004 to 2014, when the magazine ceased its publication. It was then published via compiled volumes, with the final volume released in 2020. The series is collected into seventeen tankōbon volumes. Kingyo Used Books was licensed in North America by Viz Media under their Viz Signature Ikki label.

Kingyo Used Books
First volume cover
金魚屋古書店
(Kingyoya Koshoten)
Genre
Manga
Kingyoya Koshoten Suitouchō
Written bySeimu Yoshizaki
Published by
Imprint
  • Young King Comics
  • Ikki Comix (re-issue)
Magazine
  • OURs Girl
  • OURs Lite
DemographicShōjo, seinen
Original run20002002
Volumes2
Manga
Written bySeimu Yoshizaki
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
ImprintIkki Comix
MagazineMonthly Ikki (2004−2014)
DemographicSeinen
Original runMarch 25, 2004June 30, 2020
Volumes17

Plot edit

The story revolves around a used manga store, and has a series of vignette-style chapters revolving around different characters. It extols the value of reading manga in one's life, and is notable for having references to several well-known, as well as obscure manga, from the smash-hit Dr. Slump, to the rarely heard-of Billy Puck.

Publication edit

Kingyo Used Books is written and illustrated by Seimu Yoshizaki. Yoshizaki first launched a series titled Kingyoya Koshoten Suitouchō (金魚屋古書店出納帳), which was published from 2000 to 2002 in Shōnen Gahōsha's Young King OURs's special editions OURs Girl and OURs Lite.[3][4] Two volumes were published on April 3 and June 26, 2003.[5][6] Both volumes were re-released by Shogakukan on December 24, 2004.[7][8] Kingyo Used Books was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Monthly Ikki from March 25, 2004,[9] to September 25, 2014, when the magazine ceased publication.[10] The series was then continued via compiled volumes.[11][12][13] The chapters were collected in seventeen tankōbon volumes, released from December 24, 2004,[14] to July 30, 2020.[15]

In North America, the series has been licensed by Viz Media for English language release and it debuted on Monthly Ikki's English website Sigikki on July 30, 2009.[16] Only four volumes were released from April 20, 2010,[17] to October 18, 2011.[18]

Volumes edit

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 December 24, 2004[14]978-4-09-188553-1April 20, 2010[17]978-1-4215-3362-9
  • The Components of Memory
  • Hokusai Manga
  • Far Away
  • The Boy Detective Arrives
  • A Country Without Manga
  • Fujiomi-Kun
  • The Sedori Business
  • Billy and Grandpa's Curious Travelogue
2 August 30, 2005[19]978-4-09-188554-8October 19, 2010[20]978-1-4215-3366-7
3 March 30, 2006[21]978-4-09-188315-5April 19, 2011[22]978-1-4215-3367-4
4 March 30, 2006[23]978-4-09-188346-9October 18, 2011[18]978-1-4215-3368-1
5 May 30, 2007[24]978-4-09-188365-0
6 December 26, 2007[25]978-4-09-188390-2
7 July 30, 2008[26]978-4-09-188420-6
8 January 30, 2009[27]978-4-09-188439-8
9 September 30, 2009[28]978-4-09-188477-0
10 April 28, 2010[29]978-4-09-188515-9
11 November 30, 2010[30]978-4-09-188332-2
12 June 30, 2011[31]978-4-09-188549-4
13 February 29, 2012[32]978-4-09-188574-6
14 December 27, 2012[33]978-4-09-188610-1
15 November 29, 2013[34]978-4-09-188637-8
16 July 30, 2014[35]978-4-09-188660-6
17 June 30, 2020[15]978-4-09-188699-6

Reception edit

Kingyo Used Books was one of the Jury Recommended Works at the 16th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2012.[36]

Carlo Santos in his Anime News Network column "Right Turn Only" gave the manga a grade of "B", saying that "if you want to get a non-manga fan into manga, this is probably not the manga to give them." The critic went on to say, "Kingyo is, if anything, too fixated on giving history lessons, trying to drown the reader in footnotes and details rather than letting the series speak for itself."[37]

References edit

  1. ^ "The Official Website for Kingyo Used Books". Viz Media. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  2. ^ Ellingwood, Holly (June 23, 2010). "Kingyo Used Books Vol. 1". ActiveAnime. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  3. ^ 「IKKI」休刊から5年、『金魚屋古書店』ついに完結! (in Japanese). Shogakukan. June 30, 2020. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  4. ^ "OURs Lite / Back Number's Collection 2002" (in Japanese). Shōnen Gahōsha. Archived from the original on October 2, 2002. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  5. ^ 金魚屋古書店出納帳 1 (in Japanese). ASIN 478592294X.
  6. ^ 金魚屋古書店出納帳 2 (in Japanese). ASIN 4785923210.
  7. ^ 金魚屋古書店出納 上 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  8. ^ 金魚屋古書店出納 下 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  9. ^ 月刊IKKI 2004年5月号 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on June 7, 2004.
  10. ^ Nelkin, Sarah (July 19, 2014). "Monthly Ikki Magazine Suspends Publication". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  11. ^ Ressler, Karen (July 30, 2014). "Monthly Ikki Magazine's Individual Series' Plans Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  12. ^ Mateo, Alex (April 17, 2020). "Kingyo Used Books Manga Gets New Volume After 6 Years". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  13. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (May 14, 2020). "Kingyo Used Books Manga Ends in 17th Volume". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 12, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  14. ^ a b 金魚屋古書店 1 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  15. ^ a b 金魚屋古書店 17 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  16. ^ Loo, Egan (July 16, 2009). "Viz Adds Saturn Apartments, Kingyo Used Books Manga (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Kingyo Used Books, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  18. ^ a b "Kingyo Used Books, Vol. 4". Viz Media. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  19. ^ 金魚屋古書店 2 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  20. ^ "Kingyo Used Books, Vol. 2". Viz Media. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  21. ^ 金魚屋古書店 3 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  22. ^ "Kingyo Used Books, Vol. 3". Viz Media. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  23. ^ 金魚屋古書店 4 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  24. ^ 金魚屋古書店 5 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  25. ^ 金魚屋古書店 6 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  26. ^ 金魚屋古書店 7 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  27. ^ 金魚屋古書店 8 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  28. ^ 金魚屋古書店 9 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  29. ^ 金魚屋古書店 10 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  30. ^ 金魚屋古書店 11 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  31. ^ 金魚屋古書店 12 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  32. ^ 金魚屋古書店 13 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  33. ^ 金魚屋古書店 14 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  34. ^ 金魚屋古書店 15 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  35. ^ 金魚屋古書店 16 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  36. ^ "Manga Division – 2012 [16th] Japan Media Arts Festival Archive". Japan Media Arts Festival. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  37. ^ Santo, Carlo. "RIGHT TURN ONLY!! Yotsuba and Britannians". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 14, 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2010.

Further reading edit

External links edit